Saturday Morning Soundtrack -- "Pelvis Pusher" by Vintage Trouble

Well, we're back to the regular routine this week, and I'm taking some time to enjoy great music and offering up my thoughts on one of my recent favorite songs. That said, in just two weeks we'll be making a change to the format of the Saturday Morning Soundtrack series you won't want to miss!

Want to catch up with the series? Want to play the songs seamlessly while you write, work, or exercise? Saturday Morning Soundtrack is now available on Youtube. Just click "Play All" once and relive all of the past tracks the way they were meant to be heard. And keep checking back with "Stacking Stones" each week for new songs and more commentary.

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Saturday Morning Soundtrack @ Youtube

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"Pelvis Pusher" -- Vintage Trouble (2013)

My autographed copy of "The Bomb Shelter Sessions"

Vintage Trouble is a band I've written about before in my earlier review of the Mountain Stage concert I went to last spring. And so I am going to try to slobber appreciatively over this band without covering too much of the same ground. That's why, for this week's entry, I picked a song that the group didn't perform when I saw them in concert. It was a tough choice. There were a lot of great songs to choose from. This is a track I've had in my library for years, and I kept overlooking it until I came across the video recently and it reminded me of the high-octane blast that was seeing these guys perform live. 

What do I like about the video for "Pelvis Pusher?" It all starts with the band's sense of humor. While there are plenty of great videos out there playing it straight and dishing up a full course of poignancy, heartache, ennui, this video is about having fun and not taking yourself too seriously. The conceit is simple: the band is hosting a dance-off. Some of the dancers are pretty bad. Others fantastic. And some downright bizarre--the hoola-hoop girls, for example. In each case, watching the band's reactions to each contestant mashed up with their actual performance is kind of priceless. In the end, the twist is (of course) that everyone wins the contest and the gymnasium is turned into an impromptu dance party. It's a clever script that sends a message of inclusivity--we don't care who you are or how you dance, you're welcome with us--and the band acts their part well. This comes as no surprise after seeing the band live. (If you'll recall, lead singer Ty Taylor walked across the chair backs to join the crowd during his performance. If that doesn't say "come closer," nothing does.)

Of course, the video is simply one part of the listening/watching experience. What makes "Pelvis Pusher" great is the way this song keeps driving. There's no let up. Pelvis pushing is slang for dancing, and (of course) it's also innuendo for the kind of "dancing" we do when we aren't strictly in the upright position, but it's also a metaphor for getting out there on the dance floor and relinquishing self-control. It's about letting your hair down and acting a fool. In some ways, that's a message that's become lost in contemporary rock music. In the 50s and 60s it was all about the dancing. Somewhere along the line, we decided that wasn't noble enough, and so rock music became more about the artist's vision, message, social commentary, emotional turmoil, rebellion against authority. Nothing wrong with that, but it's nice to see that the roots of the genre are still alive. Vintage Trouble is great because they live up to the best part of their moniker without seeming outdated. In the past, I likened Taylor's vocals to James Brown and Sam Cooke, and I stand by that assessment. Though Taylor does less of that powerful trademark screaming on this track, he still manages to command the room with a swagger that puts you in mind of the Godfather of Soul himself. 

The rest of the band is tight, as well. The guitar solos aren't overindulgent and yet they get to the heart of what makes good, classic rock and roll. The bassist and drummer keep this tune locked in and pumping from start to finish, and quite frankly they look like they are having a blast up there. It's nice to see rock musicians trading in the snarl for a smile every once in a while because it invites us to relax and put aside all our pretentions and hang ups. (An absolute must, if you want your audience to do any pelvis pushing, right?)

That said, just because I am playing up the "fun" aspects of this band, don't let that lull you into thinking they lack talent. It's clear that these guys have the chops. Watch the video and see for yourself!

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Love the song? Hate it? Have thoughts to share? Please, feel free to leave a message in the comments below. And, if you would like to write a Guest Entry for the "Saturday Morning Soundtrack" series where you creatively respond to one of your favorite rock songs, don't hesitate to contact me with queries.